My Life: Malik's Story
by Chibi Wingzero
Summary: Malik has a tough life. Being an only born son, he was forced to become the guardian of the Pharaoh's tomb and wait for his arrival. However, his yami made a mess of things and now he has to deal with the consequences. Shounen ai warning!
1. Drowning in Sorrow

Wingzero: ;_; I can't believe I wrote this.

DS: I know since you wanted to write a Yu Yu Hakusho fic. 

Wingzero: ;_; I know, but this one kept bugging me so I wrote it.

DS: --U

Good morning or was it afternoon? I can't tell. My name is Malik Ishtar and ever since I received the millennium rod, my life had been a nightmare. Okay, let's start from the beginning, shall we? Shadi, the guardian of the millennium items, handed me the rod. I didn't have a clue what it would do until my dark side started taking control over me. He wanted to take the power of the pharaoh. In order to accomplish that he must have the millennium puzzle as well as the three Egyptian god cards. Now, we or should I say he had two of these god cards in the beginning. Then he lost one of them to Yugi and Yami. Yes, I knew the difference between them. Yami had narrow crimson eyes while Yugi had wide violet eyes. The dark spirit was about a head taller than his hikari and had more blonde streaks in his hair. I was surprised the others didn't notice it at the time. Anyways, Yami had banished my yami to the shadow realm. I gave him both the millennium rod and the Egyptian god card. Little did I know what will happen. 

"Malik, wake up," an annoying voice called out as I felt someone shaking me. "You're going to be late for school."

My eyes fluttered open. School? Since when did I register for school? "What are you talking about sis?"

"I enrolled you in Domino High School," Isis stated calmly, though I can tell she wanted to wring my neck for being lazy. Ever since the Rare Hunters had been disbanded, I had been living under her roof. Hey, I had no money and no place to go. 

"Why would you do something like that?" I yawned, trying to get my point across. 

"You need an education," Isis said grabbing me by the ear. Ow! "Malik Namu Ishtar, you have five minutes to change into your school uniform. Don't you give me that look young man. I placed your clothes in your closet." 

I sighed as my older sister slammed the door behind her. It must be that time of the month. I hated those times. Any other time, I could deal with her, but not during this time. Might as well get up, seeing as my sister would be extremely pissed off if I don't. Why did they have to use uniforms? I opened up my closet and pulled out the uniform. God, these looked horrible on me. I wondered why Yugi wore them all the time. 

Quickly, I slipped out of my night clothes and replaced them with the uniform. Isis made sure she didn't buy clothes that were too tight or too loose. I despised her for that. It was obvious she had no fashion sense whatsoever. I debated on whether I should wear my gold jewelry on the first day of class, but decided against it. Who knew what I would meet there? Well, maybe I'll wear my usual chocker and earrings. 

Once I was finished dressing, I wandered downstairs. Isis had cooked breakfast and currently was at the table eating. She looked up in my direction and smiled. "I have arranged it so you're in the same classes as Yugi and his friends. They'll be able to show you around, and please try not to cause any trouble on your first day."

"Of course not," I replied sarcastically. Should I eat the food or not? Maybe she poisoned it while I wasn't around. Nah, she wouldn't do it. After all, I was the only family she had left. Besides, she wanted me to attend school. I sat down and started to eat the oatmeal. Man, this was completely nasty. When she saw me scrunch up my face, she laughed. 

"Brother, that is why I have these out," she gestured towards the brown sugar as well as freshly cut strawberries and a can of whip cream. No wonder why she was able to stomach this stuff. 

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, you know I'm tired." I placed a lot of the sugar on and some strawberries. My sister had been pestering me to eat healthy. I grudgingly obliged at first; then I discovered it helped me increase my strength. 

"What were you doing up anyways?" Isis asked me as we ate our breakfast.

"I was trying to sleep," I sighed, remembering the restless night I had. "It took me more than half an hour to fall asleep." 

"I'll have to adjust the temperature then," Isis stated, calm as ever. 

I wished it was that simple. I had this nagging feeling, but I can't describe it. It left me anxious, nervous, and scared. What was I going to do? For the rest of the meal, we chatted about small things. Isis, like me, had given her millennium item to Yami. Ryou kept his as he was destined to possess it, though he gave over the millennium eye. Shadi still had both the millennium ankh and scales. He required those two for his job. I never knew he had one. 

Later on, I hopped onto my motorcycle and rode it to school. At least my sister allowed me to keep it as it was my only means of transportation and she knew that prying my hands off of it would be hard. Besides, it meant I could run small errands for her while she was at work, which she often was. 

Sometimes I just don't understand her, but then I will never understand women. As I rounded the corner, I noticed that Wheeler kid. He and Tristan were chatting about this and that. I couldn't hear what they were saying over the noise of my bike, but I can tell it wasn't interesting. A small boy ran up to them and greeted them in his cheerful way. Behind him, a white haired boy tried to catch up with his smaller companion. 

Now that I thought about it, I wished I had friends. Ever since, I allowed my darker half to control my life no one would dare become my friend. Of course, I'd rather jump off a cliff than become Tea Gardner's friend. She had to be the most annoying person on the planet, but from what I heard she does have her moments. 

I leave them in my dust as I wasn't ready to face them, not after what I had put them through. We haven't seen each other since I handed back the millennium item along with the god card. Part of me wanted to stay away from them and part of me wanted to make things right. Confusing, wasn't it? I knew one of these days I will have to face them but not now, especially on my first day of class. 

Pulling up into the parking lot, I parked my bike where the motorcycle parking was. It was a good thing I had it, because hardly anyone rode them to school. I should rephrase that. I was the only one riding a motorcycle to school. The others had cars, trucks, and vans. Some people were close enough to the school, that they didn't require transportation. They walked there. Such as was the case of Yugi and friends. 

The place seemed awfully crowded for my liking. That was not to be the case short after. When I had removed my helmet, everyone backed away as if I was carrying some contagious disease. I knew they were whispering about me, even though I couldn't hear them. Along the way, I picked up lip reading. At first I didn't know why I wanted to, but now I was extremely glad I did. So they were afraid of me. I can't believe they were still scared a month after the Battle City Tournament. It was plain pitiful. 

Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I sauntered over towards the principal's office. Isis told me to go there and meet up with him. He wanted to talk to me, concerning my enrollment at this high school. If possible, I wanted to get out of school, but I doubt he would allow me to do so. That was when I noticed Joey and Tristan standing in front of little Yugi and Ryou. They thought I was still after the millennium puzzle. I could care less what happened to the millennium item or the god cards. 

"What's the matter with you two?" Yugi scolded the both of them. He placed his hands on his hips. "I have forgiven him and he has returned the millennium rod with the Dragon of Ra."

"Sorry, Yug," Joey apologized to his best friend. "I just don't want you to get hurt. That's all. I don't trust that guy as far as I can throw him."

"That goes the same for me," Tristan backed up the blonde. "Who knows what he's up to?"

"You're right, I'm up to something," I smirked, which caused them to grow angry. "I'm going to convince the principal that I don't need to attend school."

"Sure you are," Joey said sarcastically. "If you try anything, you'll be dealing with the law."

"Not to mention me," Yami said, changing places with his hikari. "I don't know what you're up to Marik, but you won't get away with it." 

"The name is Malik not Marik," I said before sticking my tongue out at them. "Get it right." I spun on my heels and walked towards the office. From the window, I saw Joey getting extremely pissed off, that Tristan had to hold him back. Yami seemed to be infuriated, but his hikari won't allow him to kill anyone. 

I had met with the school principal. He wasn't too thrilled to be meeting me. In fact, he was cowering behind his desk, trembling. I wasn't that scary, was I? Oh well, it was my darker half that did it and the millennium ankh can prove it. If Shadi were to look inside my soul, he would see a lonely boy, who only wanted to be loved. Nevertheless, I had managed to coax him into giving me my schedule and locker. Isis made me bring enough cash to school so that I could buy a lock; like anyone would want to steal from me. They were scared out of their minds just walking next to me. 

Mr. Fujita introduced me to the class as a transfer student. He quickly took his seat so I could tell them about myself. What was there to tell about my life? I was born and my life sucked. How was that? Nah, it was short and dry. 

"I'm Malik Ishtar and I come from Egypt," I announced to the class. Well, that was a good start. "I have one older sister, named Isis and love to ride my motorcycle." I took a seat behind Ryou, who seemed scared to even chat. His yami took over and started growling at me, daring me to touch his hikari. 

I never knew that Bakura could be protective of his hikari. The last time I saw them the former tomb robber was treating Ryou as a slave. Something must have changed between the two of them as well as the former pharaoh and his hikari. Yami had taken over Yugi's body, once again. Suddenly, I felt a piece of paper hit me on the chest. I opened it up to find Egyptian writing. Yami warned me not to try anything funny with either hikaris or their friends. I will experience severe physical pain as well as being banished to the shadow realm. Oh joy. Can't they see I don't have my millennium rod? I gave it back to Yami, but I guessed it wasn't good enough for them. Maybe I wasn't good enough, period. I crumple the note and stuffed it into my backpack. I'll throw it away later. Besides not many people understand Egyptian. 

The rest of the class was a bore. Yami and Bakura were still out, though their hikaris must be taking notes from inside their soul rooms. If one of them had a question, I guessed they would tell their yami it and the yami would ask for them. I wished people stopped treating me like I was an insane psycho. That was my darker half, for crying out loud. Mr. Fujita didn't bother calling out my name when he was asking questions. Maybe he was scared of me like all the other people, not that I cared. 

Joey and Tristan were passing notes between themselves. Weren't they supposed to be listening to the teacher? No wonder why they had bad grades in their classes. They weren't even paying attention to the lecture so they must not be doing their homework. When they had noticed me watching them from the corner of my eye, they paled a few shades before finding the lecture very interesting. I swore I could have heard one of them cursing. 

As soon as the lunch bell rang, everyone bolted for the door. Yami and Bakura stayed behind until the crowd had left the room. Joey, Tristan, and Tea stayed close to the other yamis as they were completely frightened of me. I had noticed Tea latched onto Yami's arm. He wasn't exactly thrilled to have her hanging off his appendage. He pulled away from her and started walking outside the room. Bakura followed shortly with the other three running behind them. 

Now, I was alone with the teacher. Mr. Fujita paled several shades in a few seconds. He muttered something about a staff meeting and dashed out of the room as if his pants were on fire. I never knew teachers could run that fast. Perhaps, if they have a motivation, they will. I carefully arranged my notes into my notebook and packed away my books. Standing up, I sighed to myself. This was going to be a long day. 

The gang was sitting underneath the tree. Yami and Bakura had their own solid forms. They were sitting next to their hikaris with Tea drooling over the former pharaoh. Yugi wasn't exactly pleased with the idea about it. I believed he had a crush on her, but now he saw she had a crush on his other half. Personally, I thought of her as a bimbo and a slut, but unfortunately, I couldn't get rid of her without raising suspicions. 

I sat over in a different place, away from anyone. Well, it wasn't like anyone would walk up to me and invite me to eat with them. A figure blocked my view of the school. When I looked up, I noticed it was the pharaoh's hikari. Oops, I spoke too soon. What did he want?

"Hi," Yugi spoke softly. 

"Hi," I replied back, not knowing what else to say. I dared not make any sudden movements, because the others most likely will interpret it as an attack. "What can I do for you?" Hey, I at least tried to be nice.

"I was wondering if you would like to eat with us," Yugi asked nervously. He was rocking back and forth on his heels. His arms were behind his back and he wasn't looking directly into my eyes. This was bad. Then he gave me a warm smile. 

"I don't think your friends would like it," I pointed out his angry friends. They appeared on the verge of strangling me if I did anything to him. 

"Don't be silly," Yugi said, before grabbing my arm and hauling me over there. For a little guy, he was strong. I managed to grab my lunch before being pulled away. He made me sit next to him while Yami was on his other side. 

During lunch, they talked about duel monsters and the upcoming tournament. Yami kept looking back at me to make sure I didn't try anything funny. Joey wondered if Yugi would use the god cards or any of them. Yugi said he wouldn't because he wanted to duel fairly. Not to mention, more people will find out he possessed all three god cards. Tea kept pestering Yami as he was making sure his hikari was safe. 

"Oh Yami, come on, it's going to be fun!" she chirped, more like screeched if you asked me. "The carnival is this weekend and I don't want to miss it." 

"I'm sorry Tea, but I have promised I'm going to help Yugi with his assignment," Yami stated firmly. He wasn't going to back down. 

"It's okay Yami, I can ask Malik for help," Yugi suggested. He obviously didn't want to burden his darker half. 

"Absolutely not!" Yami screamed in anger. 

"No need to yell," Joey said, rubbing his ear. Yugi had it the worst with Tea, but fortunately for the little guy, he sensed it ahead of time and covered his ears. 

"Malik isn't a bad guy, really," Tea pouted. She crossed her arms over her chest. Was that even real? She was trying to be all sweet and nice. Gods, she made me want to puke!

"Oh how thoughtful of you," I snorted sarcastically. "We all know how much of a slut you are." The others appeared to be angry while Tea was shocked I even know this. "While the others weren't looking, you tried to get the football captain, the chess president, the soccer goalie, the tennis player……………….. Well, I'm going to need more time to list everyone you tried to get to sleep with you. So far you haven't gotten any and none of them interested you enough for you win their affection, except for Yami." By now Tea was twitching. 

"That was rude!" Yugi said on her behalf, surprising all of us. 

"I can't help it if it's the truth," I shrugged. "While I was trapped within my soul room, I heard her confess everything so there."

The others glanced over at Tea, who was backing away from them. "It isn't true! They're all lies. I swear it!"

"Tea, quit poisoning us with your lies and leave!" The former pharaoh boomed. "Before I decide to send you on a permanent vacation to the shadow realm." 

The annoying dancer huffed and spun on her heels, leaving us. She was about to make it into the building but suddenly a soccer hit her on the face, more specifically her nose. Tears welled up in her eyes as she started shrieking, I meant crying. Sheesh, she can wake up the dead with that voice of hers. Soon she was running towards the nurse's office. 

"Even if you're right, I still don't trust you," Joey pointed that out. 

"As if I care whether you trust me or not," I shrugged off the comment. "The only people in my life I care about are my family. As you already know, both my father and mother are dead, leaving me with only my older sister and believes me." I stood up with my lunch half eaten; like I had the appetite to finish it, but I didn't want to waste it so I brought it back with me. The others stared where I had retreated to. 

I had just walked past the bathroom, when I felt a familiar presence standing behind me. It didn't take a genius to figure out as we both held the millennium rod at one time or another. I turned around to face ice cold blue eyes. What did he want with me?

"If you dare lay a finger on my brother, I will every financial resource under my control to make you pay," the former priest growled in a low voice. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," I snorted back. "I know what it's like to have only one surviving family member so I'm not going to pull anything on your little brother. If I do, it's usually a harmless prank."

"Don't even go there," Kaiba seemed on the verge of attacking me. 

"One time I dyed my sister's tongue blue," I said thoughtfully, remembering when we were both children. "Needless to say, she wasn't happy about the results." 

"I can tell, but if you ever try to harm Mokuba, know you have been warned," Kaiba huffed before storming in the other direction. He was really cranky today. I wondered why. Perhaps it was because I attended the same school he was currently. 

"As if your idle threats scare me," I huffed. "You don't even have your Egyptian god card so why should I be scared?"

"You're forgetting I'm the master of three Blue Eyes White Dragons," Kaiba pointed that out. Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Dang. "Nothing to say?"

"Even the mightiest of foes, can be taken down," I said calmly. "You remembered when Yugi faced the seemingly unstoppable Exodia? To refresh your memory, he forced his opponent to use the head of the duel monster. Since his deck was filled with Exodia parts, he couldn't squeeze many monsters in it. With chain destruction, Yugi was able to wipe out every Exodia head in his hand and deck leaving only one defenseless head."

"I remembered that," Kaiba now snorted. 

Without wasting any time, I walked back into the school I had enough of these people. So what if my sister wanted me to make friends. She already knew people feared me, because of what my other half had done in my body. Yami banished him to the shadow realm; yet, Bakura stayed. He changed from wanting to take every single millennium item to being well………… I don't know how to put it. He wanted to spend more time with his hikari and he even protected Ryou in his own twisted ways. 

Our first period after lunch was history. This was such a bore, because we were studying Ancient Egypt. The textbooks have pretty much all their facts wrong. Duel monsters were as much part of everyday life as eating, sleeping, or taking a bath. Yet, there wasn't any mention of them. Another thing missing was the seven millennium items, which Yami now holds four of them. I believed he was mentioned in the text somewhere as the pharaoh who stopped an evil, but that was about it. They didn't mention him sacrificing his life to do so. 

From the glazed looks in both Yugi and Ryou's eyes I knew they were chatting with their yamis. Instantly I can easily guess it involved our text and our class discussion. The two spirits must be seething with anger. Yami sure was. After all, he made the greatest sacrifice a person could make to seal the shadow realm and he wasn't remembered for it. Don't forget that duel monsters weren't even talked about. Yugi raised his hand, surprising the teacher. 

"What is it, Yugi?" Ms. Kino asked. She was the youngest teacher out of our school. It was a conspiracy I tell yah. Anyways, she graduated from college and now was earning her teaching credential; whatever that was. 

"Wasn't there anything on the seven millennium items?" Yugi asked.

"There is a legend saying seven items of power were created to combat an evil and dark force," Mr. Kino answered. She flipped to another page of the book. "They are just legends."

Just legends, my foot. From the way Yugi was shaking his head, Yami was shouting inside his soul room. The change in his physical appearance informed me Yami had taken control of the body. The two of them debated back and forth about the facts. She argued she knew the correct information, because she attained a degree in history at a college while he was only a high school student. Little did she know, Yami wasn't any ordinary high school student. 

Our next class was our elective. I opted to go with creative writing. It was a way to express my feelings and besides, Isis didn't know I loved to draw. We have been spending less and less time as the years went by. I wanted to blame it all on Marik, but something told me it was also my fault. I should have stopped him when I had the chance. 

The last class of the day was PE. We separated into two different groups: boys and girls. Today, we were going to be doing gymnastics. The others students groaned at the idea. Yugi wasn't exactly thrilled with it, but he went along. Ryou seemed nervous, because he didn't want to make himself look like a fool out in front of everyone. According to my calculations, Bakura will be stepping in as soon as Ryou was up and leaving control to his hikari when it was over. I was right as soft brown eyes turned into cold ones. Bakura did the cartwheel with no problem. Yugi didn't want any help from his yami and he managed to do okay. Joey and Tristan completely mess up, ending face first on the mat. Kaiba did well, but not as well as Bakura. I went last and did good cartwheels, in my opinion. We continued to practice them. 

Later that afternoon, I had driven my motorcycle to the local library. This was an odd place for me to visit so don't bother asking. When I had started school, they dumped an enormous load of papers and essays for me to do. Plus I didn't want to buy the book for the literature class I was forced to take. Besides, it sounded like a boring book. I wandered through the shelves not knowing where the heck I was going. Hey, it was a three floor library and one of the largest in Japan. It was my first time here. Well, I can't say first, because I don't remember much of my childhood, but you get the point. 

As I was walking along one of the aisles, I spotted an unusual sight. My sister was talking with other experts on history. I never thought she held discussions at the library. Perhaps, it was due to the large repository of knowledge residing within the walls. Hey, I just used three long words in one sentence. Go me!

"I can't believe you let him live with you," one of her colleagues gasped. She had short blonde hair, blue eyes, and an annoying voice that rivaled Tea's. "You could be hurt or even killed in your sleep."

"I know he had been acting strange ever since he received the millennium rod, but he gave it to the person who deserves to hold it," my sister sighed. "Still, I don't know what to think of him now. I thought there was something different about him when he held the rod."

"You can never trust teenagers these days," a middle aged man scoffed. "They're a bunch of hooligans if you asked me. Some of them need to be locked up in prison." 

"Malik isn't like that," Isis protested, but her voice wavered. "I don't know what to think anymore." She placed her head in her hands. I could see small sparkles of salty liquid drop from her hands. "I have been locking my bedroom doors at night and activating a talisman. It has kept him out so far, but who knows when he will be able to break through it." 

I felt a stab to my heart. My sister didn't trust me, her own brother. Now I felt trickles of tears running down my face. I turned and fled the building before anyone noticed. Maybe there was a way I could set things right. I had to. No, I wanted to. I hopped into my motorcycle and drove off without borrowing any books. I had to get away from there and fast. Pretty soon I found myself at a cliff overlooking the ocean. 

The calmness of the ocean was the complete opposite of what I felt in my soul and heart. Inside, I had a storm raging. My broken spirit can't withstand the pressure of it. There was only one choice I had. I glanced down to the deep water below the cliff. This was the way, the only way. Then why couldn't I gather up the courage to do it? Perhaps, I was scared, scared of what might happen to myself and my sister when I went through with it. Not that it mattered any more. Isis didn't trust me enough to stop using that talisman and locking the door at nights. 

I stepped closer and closer to the edge. That was when I heard a few voices down at the beach. It was Yugi and company. They were having a time with their friends. Good thing, Tea was nowhere in sight. I wished I was the one to strangle her, but I can pester her in the afterlife. Goodbye world. I bid thee farewell. 

I jumped. 

******************************************************************************

Normal POV

Yugi and Yami were racing on the beach to see who was the fastest between the both of them. Ryou and Bakura built a sandcastle, much to the displeasure of the yami. However, his hikari turned into an advantage when he changed it to the palace in Egypt. Ryou wanted to know what it looked like so Bakura was more than happy to help build it as well as tell stories about his raids on the palace. Good thing, Yami was currently busy with Yugi or he would have done something drastic to the former tomb robber. Tristan and Duke dueled with Duke's dungeon dice monsters. Duke taught Tristan the basics of the game and now they were practicing on the portable system that Kaiba Corps had built. Serenity and Mai lay out in the sun to get a nice tan. They were currently talking about boys and who they liked. 

It was then Yugi noticed something different and abruptly halted. There was someone moving on the cliff. Yami nearly crashed into his hikari. 

//Aibou, what is wrong?// He sensed his light's distress.

/There's someone on the cliff. I'm going to find out who it is./ With that, Yugi was determined to see who was there. It was a dangerous place during the winter, but the season hadn't started. He ran up there as fast as his small legs can carry him. Yami wasn't too far behind him. 

"What's the rush?" Bakura asked as he ran beside Yami. He had jumped up from his position and took off without harming their sand project. 

"There's someone on the cliffs," Yami answered back. He heard Tristan, Joey, and Duke catch up with the rest of them. Ryou, Mai, and Serenity stayed behind. 

"Who do you think it is?" Joey asked the former pharaoh. 

"Whoever it is, they must be really foolish to go up there alone," Duke said, nodding his head. "It's very dangerous to be up there."

"You think?" Bakura snorted. 

The group had finally caught up to Yugi when he stopped at the beginning of the cliff. Malik was standing a little too close to the edge when all of a sudden he jumped. Yugi ran to save the Egyptian, but he was too late. Malik plummeted towards the sea to be engulfed by the water.   
  
"MALIK!!!!!!" Yugi cried out as he cried his heart out. The blonde Egyptian just committed suicide in front of his eyes. 

The others remained in silence as the former pharaoh walked over to where Yugi was and embraced him. He allowed his hikari to cry on his shoulder and gazed to where Malik had been standing. What have they done?

(Kura? What happened?) Silence greeted Ryou. 

"What fell off the cliff?" Mai asked. She was filing her nails as usual.

((WHO fell off the cliff? It was Malik.))

Ryou paled several shades and started crying. He dropped down to his knees. The two girls noticed it. They hurried to his side to find out what was wrong with him. 

"Ryou, what's wrong?" Serenity asked; concern in her voice.

"Malik jumped," Ryou managed to say between sobs.

They now knew Malik had committed suicide. Serenity had tears flowing down her cheeks while Mai glared at where Malik had landed. The blonde thought it was a foolish act and it caused two of her friends to cry. Where were Joey and Bakura when they needed him? She had to be strong for those two until their older brother and darker half arrived. 

Malik: I can't believe I committed suicide. –U Thanks a lot.

Wingzero: No problem.

Ishtar: How come you switched my name to Marik?

Wingzero: Cause I wanted to and from now on I will call you Marik!!!!

Marik: --U Do I have a choice?

Wingzero: I can call you Pretty Pink Princess Peach Pie. 

Joey: Dude, that's a lot of words starting with P. 

Marik: I think I'll stick with Marik. 

Malik: Good choice Pretty Pink Princess Peach Pie.

Marik: XO Aibou!!!!

Malik: *runs away*


	2. Malik's a WHAT?

Wingzero: *whistles innocently*  
  
Malik: What in the name of all that is holy is this???? *holds up the script before fainting* @_@  
  
Wingzero: *picks up the script and walks away from Malik as if nothing happened*  
  
Disclaimer: Never owned, will own, or have owned Yu-Gi-Oh. Isn't that sad? ;.;  
  
"Speech"  
  
~Duel monster interpretation.~  
  
(Announcements if any)  
  
/Yugi to Yami/ (AN: XD First one. these can also be used for talking to other duel monsters.)  
  
//Yami to Yugi//  
  
[Mirai to Yami/Yugi]  
  
{Calin to Yami/Yugi}  
  
\Malik to Yami/Yugi\  
  
Japanese Translations:  
  
Maho(o): Magic  
  
Mirai: Future  
  
Aibou: Partner  
  
Hai: yes  
  
Hikari: Light  
  
Ohayo: Good morning  
  
Yami: Darkness  
  
The last thing I remembered was free falling to the ocean. Now where was I?  
  
Cold.  
  
Dark.  
  
Death?  
  
Why does everything in my life have to be painful? I tried to stretch out my limbs only for them to feel heavy as lead. Wait a second. The first thing was to find where I was. I opened my eyes to find myself staring at several duel monsters. No, this couldn't be the shadow realm, could it?  
  
I stood up on all fours...... Hold the phone. Since when did I have four legs? I glanced around my surroundings to find myself in a huge room. The different shades of violet could only indicate that this dwelling belonged to none other than the duel monster standing in front of me.  
  
If you guessed Dark Magician, you won a million dollars. While I was having my hysteria, the other duel monsters were quietly chatting with each other. Wondered what they were talking about. Could it possibly be me? Nah, it couldn't be.  
  
"What are we going to do with the Dragon of Ra?" The Celtic Guardian asked the other occupants. "We all knew he wasn't doing well when we first saw him and when he was with the two Egyptians."  
  
"Why do you suppose?" Gaia asked the three spellcasters.  
  
"As to the answer, I have no clue," the Dark Magician began. He stood up and paced around for awhile, not noticing my conscious state. "I believe it involves the separation of its soul. As to where the soul is, I don't know."  
  
"Do you think it's in the human world?" The magician's female counterpart asked.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous," the Mystical elf said, in complete exasperation. "Besides we're here to find a way to help the dragon, not to discuss theories."  
  
"I wish I could do more," the Celtic Guardian sighed. He relaxed against the wall when suddenly he yelled something in an elven tongue.  
  
"So you're finally awake," the Dark Luster Soldier emerged from the shadows. "And here I thought you would sleep until our young master graduates from high school."  
  
I narrowed my eyes at his statement. "I was supposed to be dead, but why am I here?"  
  
The duel monsters looked at each other in confusion until Yugi's favorite duel monster stepped in and cleared up things. "From what I have gathered from our masters, a close friend of theirs committed suicide but his body was never found. I suspect that Maho (the DMG) is correct. Master Yugi wasn't in the mood to talk about it and Master Yami isn't exactly the open type."  
  
I swore I could have fall over anime style. "I was that person, who jumped off the cliff."  
  
"If you were that human, then why are you here and in that body of all things?" Maho asked the stupidest question.  
  
"Maho, would you get a life?" The male elf snorted. "It's obvious. This human possessed the soul of one Dragon of Ra."  
  
"For once you're right," the Magician of Black Chaos spoke up. "And it happens to be by accident."  
  
"Hey!" Maho pouted. She stomped her feet on the ground just like a child would. "I happen to know a few spells and I'm not afraid to use them."  
  
"They're mere child's play," the Dark Magician ignored her threat. "I guess I'd have to break the news to our masters."  
  
"But what if I don't want to be a duel monster?" I asked them. Really, I didn't want to be duel monster. I wanted to be human again.  
  
"It doesn't look like you have much of a choice," the Dark Magician said sympathetically. "We don't know what happened to your body and therefore, cannot return you to your human form. We all express our sorrow."  
  
"Besides you could hang out here with us," the Celtic Guardian tried to make me feel better.  
  
"Do you think we can go to the real world?" I asked very hopeful.  
  
"Well, that is if one of our masters summons us," the Dark Luster Solider pointed out. "If you need me, I'm going out on patrol. The others have restless ever since the incident."  
  
"I'm going with you," the Magician of Black Chaos volunteered. "You might need a spellcaster to help you."  
  
"Take care you two," the Mystical Elf asked the two powerful duel monsters. They weren't as powerful as the three Egyptian god cards, but they were powerful in their own right. Both of them required two sacrifices and a ritual card.  
  
"Don't worry, miss," the Dark Luster Soldier assured her with a friendly squeeze on her arm. "I'll make sure he doesn't get into trouble."  
  
"As if I'd be the one getting into trouble," the Magician of Black Chaos snorted. "You're the one who's most likely to cause the trouble."  
  
"Sure," the Dark Luster Soldier laughed as he walked outside of the room.  
  
After the two had departed, Gaia excused himself. He had to tend to his horse as it was about time to feed the beast dinner. Mystical Elf also called Celesia and Maho had feminine things to take care of. I seriously didn't want to know what they were tending to. I got enough from my older sister. So that left me with one Dark Magician and one Celtic Guardian.  
  
"Do you think you could get Yugi to summon us?" I inquired, though I doubt he would know to summon me.  
  
"I believe I can talk to Master Yugi," the magician said with doubt in his voice.  
  
"On second thought, I'd like to speak with them personally," I sighed out loud. "So Dark Magician, where's his soul room?"  
  
"You may call me Mirai," the spellcaster introduced himself. "The elf over there is Calin."  
  
Mirai and Calin both agreed that I should rest a bit before heading towards their masters' soul rooms. Hey, I wasn't about to make myself part of Yugi's and Yami's deck. At first I relented against their pressure, but they finally convinced me as I could barely move myself from this spot. Every once in awhile, the other duel monsters would check up on me.  
  
"What is it?" I asked, noticing a small shadow standing outside the door.  
  
The small ball of fur squeaked and then padded into the room. It stopped in front of me and squeaked a few times. Surprisingly, I understood every squeak that thing emitted.  
  
"No, I'm not going to eat, kill, hurt, or torture you."  
  
~Thank you. I thought you would be like those other duel monsters. My name is Squirt by the way.~ The small Kuriboh gave me a smile, a genuine one.  
  
"What other duel monsters?" I suddenly became concerned. It wasn't that I liked the thing, but I hated weak people being picked on by bullies.  
  
~You see....... The other duel monsters in the surrounding area would pick on me, because I'm weak.~ He looked dejected and hopeless.  
  
I growled in a threatening way, but not towards my companion. "Let's go. I want to see these other duel monsters."  
  
~Are you sure?~ The tiny mass of fur asked, being very hopeful at the same time.  
  
"I'm sure," I assured him as I nudged him towards the exit. We walked outside of Yugi's village and out into the public area. There were several free duel monsters as well as ones who served masters. Usually here, the weak ones were picked on free or not.  
  
~They're over there.~ Squirt pointed out the three Blue Eyes White Dragons lounging out.  
  
"Wait right here," I told the small duel monster. "You'll have to trust me on this, but I won't ditch you. I'll be hiding behind here." I indicated towards the small rock formation, which I did.  
  
The three Blue Eyes White Dragons wasted no time in getting to the small duel monster. "My, my. Haven't we learned our lesson from the previous times?"  
  
~You don't scare me!~ Squirt screamed back, trying to be braver than he was.  
  
"Why don't you go running back to your Master Yami?" The oldest dragon suggested.  
  
"Shouldn't it be his 'mommy?'" Another dragon taunted the small duel monster.  
  
~Wait and you'll see.~ The Kuriboh squeaked at them.  
  
"See what?" The third one asked.  
  
I took that as my cue to step out behind the Kuriboh. The looks on their faces were priceless. It was mixed between confusion, fear, and complete horror. "If I ever see you picking on him, I will personally see you three escorted back to your master's village. Understand?"  
  
"Yes," the three dragons stuttered before shooting towards their village.  
  
Squirt was laughing out loud and rolling on the ground. ~I can't believe it. That was hilarious.~  
  
"I know," I chuckled. Then I became serious. "Don't go provoking them for any reason."  
  
The Kuriboh nodded his head, acknowledging the seriousness of the situation. Once we were back at Yugi's village, Mirai and Calin were waiting for us. They wondered where I had wandered off to and were worried I might have gotten lost, but they saw Squirt was with me so they relaxed a bit. Evidently, the little guy knew his way around here.  
  
"Master Yugi is in his soul room, after attending your funeral," Mirai said dryly, though I can tell he was worried about his kinder master.  
  
"How many days have passed since I jumped?" I asked the two duel monsters.  
  
"Approximately one month," the elf replied. He didn't look like his serious or cheerful self. Perhaps, there were people who actually miss me? Nah, it couldn't be, could it?  
  
"What about my sister?"  
  
"She's taking it the hardest," Mirai answered this time. "You're the only family she has now that your parents have passed away." He shifted his weight to his staff, which he held in his right hand. "Even if it she doesn't trust you completely, she still loves you."  
  
"I never knew," I confessed. "I wish they could have said something or done something."  
  
"I know what you mean." Mirai placed his hand on my shoulder. "We'll have to see our masters think about it, but I think Master Yami can summon you, though I'm not sure if Yugi is in the condition to handle it."  
  
"I doubt it too," Calin agreed with his companion.  
  
[The Hallway Between the Two Soul Rooms]  
  
"Are you sure he wouldn't get mad if we walked in there?" I asked the two.  
  
On side appeared to be old and covered with vines as if they held within it ancient secrets. No duh! There was no doubt to what lies behind those golden doors. The symbol of Ra had been engraved onto the doors. This led me to the reason why every single millennium item had the eye on it.  
  
The other side was plain and simple, much like a child. I dared not venture forth there, because of two things. I didn't want to upset Yugi further and second, I don't want to deal with one royally pissed off former pharaoh. I don't care if he was the former pharaoh or shorter than me. He still had more control of his shadow powers and I can't even fight properly let alone wield such magic.  
  
Mirai knocked on Yami's door, to which he received a snore and a grunt. Inwardly I giggled to myself. Giggled, eh? Yugi and Ryou must really be rubbing off on me. Note to self: do not pick up their habits, especially that of Ryou. His hobbies included gardening and cooking. Well... the cooking I could deal with, because if he didn't cook then who else would. Next, I'd say he was a much better cook than my sister, which was why I took any chance to escape her cooking even if it was for one night.  
  
"No, no, no," Calin shook his head disappointedly. He raised his hand and started pounding on the door. I thought the door would give way any second under all that pressure, but it still held onto its fastenings. "Master Yami!! We have important information we need to discuss with you!!!!!"  
  
Egyptian cursing soon followed. One very pissed off former pharaoh stormed towards his door. We all heard his loud footsteps drawing closer to our present location. Let's just say that he wasn't in a happy mood. I wouldn't be after having been woken up. To be honest, I would have done the same thing as he did.  
  
"Do you think it was a good thing to wake him up?" The elf now regretted banging his fist into the golden door.  
  
"We shall have to see," Mirai stated the obvious as the door swung open to reveal, an extremely pissed off former pharaoh.  
  
"What is the meaning of waking me up at this ungodly hour?" The crimson eyed spirit spoke rather harshly. "I had spent an entire day consoling my hikari and I'm exhausted. This had better be very important or...." His words died on his lips as soon as I spoke up on the magician's and the elf's behalf.  
  
"It's not entirely their fault," I stepped right behind the two. "I talked them into it. Please don't take it out on them."  
  
"Malik?" Yami was rendered speechless when he heard my voice coming from one of duel monsters, more precisely the Winged Dragon of Ra.  
  
"No duh!" I teased him a little. "What's the matter? Bakura got your tongue?"  
  
"That petty thief!!" Yami growled at the mention of the other spirit's name. "Don't you even go there." He then realized my situation. "How did you end up as one of my duel monsters?"  
  
"Master Yami," Mirai spoke up, bringing our attention to the magician. "Do you remember when the three god cards' souls were separated from them, because they wielded too much power?"  
  
"Yes, I remember that. The three god cards were becoming too powerful to control so my father had their souls separated. As to what he did with them, no one knows."  
  
"Master Yami, the three souls have been born into human bodies," Mirai answered his master's question as well as explained my predicament. "Which also explains Malik's situation. He has the soul of this god card."  
  
"I understand." Yami was taking this very well, unlike me. I panicked when I found out I wasn't in my normal human body. "I'll inform my aibou tomorrow when he wakes up. He had been very worried about you for the past few weeks. He wasn't eating properly until we convinced him to."  
  
"I'm sorry," I apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean that to happen. It's just that no one loves me or so I thought that to be the case. My sister didn't trust me and everyone pretty much kept away from me."  
  
"As for the others, they didn't get to know the real you," Yami tried his hand at comforting and assuring me. "Once they get to know you, they'll change their minds. As for me, I really need my sleep. It has been a long day."  
  
"Of course Yami," I said, respecting his wishes.  
  
"Is there anything we can do for you, Master Yami?" Yami's favorite duel monster asked politely, as in a way of apologizing for the interruption.  
  
"Nothing, you may return," Yami yawned. "And please try not to wake up my hikari." With that, he closed the door.  
  
"I think I'll get some sleep," Mirai said after a brief moment of silence.  
  
"Now? It's not even ten." Calin said, baffled at the idea of Mirai going to bed early.  
  
"Who ever said I was going to bed alone?" The Dark Magician hinted at something, which took the warrior some time to comprehend the implicit meaning.  
  
"Oh, I understand," the elf said sheepishly. "Guess I'll be heading off too. You know your way back?"  
  
I nodded my head. I wanted to see Yugi before I left for the village. "I'll be fine." The two of them headed towards the door, which would lead them back into the shadow realm. "I would suggest placing a towel before you go to bed. You don't have to wash the sheets again after the mess you made."  
  
The two duel monsters blushed several shades at once. I almost fell over with laughter, but I remembered instantly that Yugi and Yami were sleeping. The former pharaoh wouldn't exactly be thrilled of having been woken up a second time, not to mention having his hikari woken up too. I turned towards the simple looking door and quietly pushed it open.  
  
Yugi was fast asleep in his bed, clutching a stuffed animal. I can't believe what I saw. There were several toys scattered around the place, indicating an innocent soul. Well, I couldn't say that I was an innocent soul. I was about to leave when I heard the soul room's owner mumble something in his sleep. It was rather incoherent and I had to strain to hear it.  
  
Violet eyes opened to reveal a sad person. That changed when he saw me up and walking about. He ran over towards me and literally shoved me into the room. "I'm glad I don't have to lose another friend. First I thought I had lost you and now Malik is gone."  
  
"Yugi, you haven't lost either," I tried to comfort him to the best of my ability.  
  
Yugi's mouth literally dropped to the floor. "How is this even possible?"  
  
"From what I understand, the souls of the three Egyptian god cards were separated and reborn into the human world. So in other words, I'm stuck as a duel monster until who knows when."  
  
"Well, I'm glad you're still alive," Yugi had a small smile. He hugged me once again. "I have one question. Why?"  
  
"You want to know why I chose my actions." I received a nod in response so I went on. "I thought no one cared about me. My sister didn't exactly trust me to be in the same house. Your friends weren't exactly thrilled about having me around. Everyone else was scared to be within the same building."  
  
Tears threatened to fall from those innocent eyes. "You know we all cared about you, especially your sister. She took it the hardest when she learned you jumped off and we couldn't find your body. It took her time to accept the fact that we thought you were gone."  
  
"I guess I should apologize to her," I said sheepishly and nervously. "I'll do that when I see her."  
  
"We owe you an apology." Yugi shook his head. "We were the ones who pushed you away when all you wanted was friends. In any case, I think the others should see you."  
  
I chuckled at the thought of them seeing me in my current condition. "There's one problem with that. Scratch it, make that two. First of all, I need to be summoned, because I am a duel monster. Second, they'd probably freak out seeing as I'm an Egyptian god card."  
  
"I'm sure we can handle that," Yugi chirped, now in a better mood than he had been. "You said that all of the god cards had their souls separated. Where are the other two?"  
  
"You've got me there," I shrugged as best I could for a dragon. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."  
  
Yugi looked up me with those puppy eyes of his. Dang, why did he have to use them? I was sure Yami had developed a tolerance to them. "Could you please stay in my soul room for tonight?"  
  
"Sure thing," I assured him. I cleared a spot from his toys, making sure that I don't break or squash any of them in the process. Once I had finished the task, I curled up into a ball.  
  
The next thing I felt was a small body against my stomach area. Yugi curled himself against me and promptly fell asleep. I was going to move him from there, but I couldn't bring myself to as I might wake him up. Lowering my head down, I closed my eyes and eventually drifted to sleep.  
  
The morning started with Yugi sliding off of me and yawning rather loudly. As the Dragon of Ra, I had enhanced hearing. This morning he seemed full of life and the Yugi I knew from way back when.  
  
"Ohayo!" Yugi chirped as bright as ever. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
"Ohayo. Surprisingly I did. Do you have class today?" Yugi scrunched up his face as an answer. "I take that as a yes."  
  
"Hai," Yugi sighed. He picked up his study notes and a few other things from his soul room. "We have a test in math today. You're lucky you don't have to take it."  
  
I glanced over his shoulder. Now I was extremely glad I didn't have to attend class. If I did, I would be so far behind everyone else and no doubt, I would be excused from taking it. "So how do you think you'll do?"  
  
"I'll manage somehow," Yugi shrugged. He placed everything inside of his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "I know I'll at least pass."  
  
"Of course you will," I gave him a smile. Our conversation was interrupted by one former pharaoh, knocking on the door before entering the room.  
  
"Aibou, how do you feel this.." The words died upon his lips when he saw I was also here. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Yugi glared at his yami and placed his hands on his hips. "Yami, you know it's not nice to be rude to our guests."  
  
"Sorry," Yami said sheepishly. "You have that math test to take and I have made you breakfast."  
  
"You didn't burn the shop down?" I asked warily.  
  
"Hey!" Yami huffed indignantly. "I happen to master the stove and the microwave unlike some petty thief."  
  
"Does he still use potted plants for restrooms?" I inquired curiously.  
  
"He uses potted plants?" Yami gasped out loud, before falling over in laughter. "I can't believe he uses those!"  
  
"I don't know about the two of you, but I'm going to be late." Yugi took over their body, leaving the two of us in his soul room.  
  
"So what are we going to do?" I asked the former pharaoh once he composed himself.  
  
"We could always go back to the village," Yami suggested with a shrug. "Or we can go exploring."  
  
"No offense Yami, but how do you plan on hiding me? I'm not exactly a common species now."  
  
"Ye of little knowledge." I raised my brow at his choice in words. "You're one of the god cards so you should have a vast magic source." He paused for a second. "Since you're new to that body, I suppose you wouldn't remember what you're capable of."  
  
"What can I do?"  
  
"You can transform into a false form, meaning you can have a human body even if it isn't your true form."  
  
"Cool... How?" I thought about being human again, but with no results.  
  
"Concentrate on what you want to look like," Yami instructed me. "Think about being human, remember what it was to be human, feel like being a human, and then the transformation should take place. If not, then I can always do it for you, but you'll have to learn how to transform."  
  
I closed my eyes and followed Yami's instructions. Upon opening my eyes, I found I had two legs, two arms, and no tail! "I did it!"  
  
"Yes you have." Yami laughed at my antics.  
  
"I can't wait to see the faces of everyone, but for now, I would settle for sushi or pizza."  
  
"Joey has seriously been rubbing off on you," Yami teased me, to which I rolled my eyes.  
  
"It has been awhile since I ate," I retorted in response. "At least I don't have his table manners."  
  
"That it is. That it is." We both laughed at the thought of Joey and departed for the real world. (Well Yami left and then summoned Malik.)  
  
Wingzero: Ooo, the plot thickens. Who possess the other two souls of the god cards? Will the guys ever figure out? How will they react when they see a living Malik? And let's not forget he's now one of the god cards.  
  
DS: Are you going to pair him up with Seto, Marik, or another char?  
  
Wingzero: Marik's out of the picture. As for Seto and an OC, I'll leave that for the reviewers to decide on that.  
  
DS: You going to hold another contest in addition to your beyblade one?  
  
Wingzero: Maybe. I guess whoever guesses BOTH of them will make a cameo appearance in this fic. *shrugs* You never know. No guessing several people. Only two per chapter otherwise your submission will be discredited.  
  
DS: Why am I not surprised?  
  
Wingzero: *disappears in a shower of silver and white sparkles*  
  
DS: AIBOU DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND WITH THEM!!!! *runs away from Anzu, trying to put the moves on other male anime chars*  
  
Other Male Anime Chars: o_0 *are running for their lives or to the nearest bathroom*


	3. Um, Hi Isis?

Wingzero: I've read somewhere that a serious fan fic should not have announcements or interaction between muses and the author. Anyone care to comment on that?  
  
DS: Don't look at me and hey, why am I not in this fic?  
  
Wingzero: rolls eyes Cause I don't want you to be.  
  
DS: Meanie!!  
  
Goku (Saiyuki): Hey, that's my line!!!  
  
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!  
  
Sanzo: has an anime vein and holding his harisen  
  
DS: Itai yo! That really hurts! glares at Sanzo  
  
Wingzero: Do it again!  
  
DS: HEY!!! WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON???  
  
Disclaimer: No own, except the extra OCs (ie the pedestrians, the college girls, the twins, & the land lady).  
  
Now the first order of business was to get something to eat. What? I'd like to see you go for weeks without eating and then change into a powerful duel monster. Uh, scratch that. You most likely won't be experiencing this. In any case, I was extremely hungry. I caught Yami giving me an amused look.  
  
"What?" I asked, completely exasperated.  
  
"You're beginning to sound like Joey," Yami commented, causing me to blanch. I do not act like Joey, not at all!  
  
My violet eyes narrowed. "You're joking, right Yami?"  
  
"You can take it however you like want," was all his reply. He turned to leave the room. "Are you coming or not?"  
  
I was pissed off by the former pharaoh, but the prospect of me being fed made me forget. "I'm coming. Hold your camels."  
  
"Isn't it supposed to be horses?" Yami raised a brow at my version of an old saying, surprising me that he actually knew it.  
  
Needless to say, I was amused. "Yes, it may be, but we're from Egypt, duh. We use camels not horses. How could you forget?"  
  
Crimson eyes rolled. He made his way out of the room with me trailing not far behind. Yugi's house was directly above the game shop so we were standing on the second story. Yeah, you'd probably figured that out by now.  
  
"I suppose you know how to cook?" Yami inquired warily. He made his way to the kitchen with me not knowing which way it was. Hey, this was my first time at Yugi's place.  
  
Since Isis sometimes spent more time doing her research or organizing her archaeological findings, I had to learn how to cook or order out. Take out food was expensive so that option was out, because I don't want to get a job.  
  
"You should be fortunate," I smirked as we entered the kitchen. My companion seemed to be nervous about being in there. "If I wanted to eat, I had to learn how to cook. Fast food is way too expensive and I didn't want to get a job."  
  
"Good because I don't..."  
  
"Know how to use any of these machines without proper supervision," I completed his statement with humor.  
  
His response was a snort. "That wasn't necessary."  
  
"But it was so amusing," I laughed, much to the annoyance of the spirit. "Besides, you didn't almost burn the house down like Bakura."  
  
Suddenly I heard a crash behind me. I turned around to find Yami leaning against the counter and laughing very hard. I'd never thought I'd see the former pharaoh acting like this. Moments later, he managed to compose himself.  
  
"You don't say?" Yami gasped. "At least, I learned how to use the microwave. You shouldn't put anything metal in there. " His ruby red eyes held amusement.  
  
"No, Ryou caught him and I don't know how he did it, but he trained the tomb robber to use the kitchen appliances though I doubt it helped," I held back my laughter. "However, I would suggest not bringing it up in his presence or he may decided to get revenge."  
  
"Noted," the former pharaoh acknowledged.  
  
Saunter to the fridge, I poked my head into it and searched for a few things. They ought to have some as they were common, but I doubt they cook from scratch.  
  
"Do you have any suggestions?"  
  
Yami seemed to be thoughtful for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders. "Not really."  
  
I grumbled, "Some help you are." Why not? I grabbed the carton of eggs and a few vegetables. Placing them on the counter, I wondered what type of meat I should use. Then again, the eggs should be enough. That was when I had a sudden inspiration. Hopefully, they had some.  
  
"You're not planning on taking over the world?" Yami inquired with a suspicious voice.  
  
I peered over the fridge door and smirked. "That was Marik's ambition. Mine is to take over this kitchen!" I chuckled at my companion's groan. Yeah, it was a lame joke, so sue me. On second thought don't or all you'd be getting were my library fines.  
  
Returning my attention to my task at hand, I shuffled the items around. Now where would they keep it? The jars made clinking sounds as they were moved around, and a few heavy items had thump sounds.  
  
"What are you looking for?" A deep voice sounded.  
  
"Salsa," I replied, still searching for the elusive sauce. "Would you mind washing the vegetables while I search?"  
  
"I don't mind though you're searching in the wrong place." This caused me to raise a brow. "It's in one of the cabinets." Oh, so now he tells me.  
  
Inwardly cursing I padded over to the nearest cabinet and opened it to reveal the salsa jar staring directly at me. Why didn't he tell me this before I went through all this trouble? I ran my hand through my blonde locks. Then I picked up the tomato product and placed it with the other ingredients.  
  
Yami had a smirk plastered on his face as he washed the produce. Well at least he knew how to use the faucet. Maybe I could teach him how to use the microwave next. While he was taking care of the vegetables, I grabbed a large bowl and cracked half a dozen eggs before dumping the contents of the eggs in, minus the shells. Once I whipped the eggs, I prepped the pan. Yami was finished.  
  
"Next is chopping these into small pieces," I informed the tri-color haired midget. Okay so I still liked making fun of him, and no, don't sue me! Selecting a couple of sharp knives, I handed one of them over to Yami. Hopefully, he had some experience with these. I was sure he at least handled short blades as weapons. "You do know how to use this."  
  
Yami now sported a mock scowl on his face. "Yugi has been teaching me. I know what I'm doing." He pulled out a peeler before using it on the carrots.  
  
Well, I'll be. He actually knew something. I did the bell peppers. Soon enough, the vegetables were cut and I was cooking the omelets. I didn't trust the spirit to handle this part, even if he said Yugi taught him how. Instead I had him set up the table.  
  
Once I finished cooking, Yami was hesitant on trying my concoction. He knew I didn't poison them as he was there the entire time. It couldn't be food poisoning. If it was the case, it wasn't my fault!  
  
"Come on," I sighed in exasperation. I had finished a third of my portion. He was being stubborn yet again. Honestly, I wasn't in the revenge thing unless you counted pranks.  
  
The former pharaoh eyed his plate before hesitantly cutting a small piece. Bah, he wasn't going to taste it that way. Well, it certainly was an improvement. I turned away so he wouldn't feel uncomfortable. "So how is it?"  
  
"It's not bad," Yami replied. I could tell he wasn't lying or trying to be sarcastic. "Although I can't say it's the best."  
  
Turning around, I showed I wasn't mad at his comment. "Yeah, I'm not a professional chef like the ones you had back in Egypt. Nor do I ever want to be."  
  
"Me either," Yami agreed without his mouth full. "You don't want to know what they used. On second thought, I don't want to also."  
  
I chuckled at that thought. Some things were better left unsaid. Anyways, we talked about what happened while I was gone. The others first went on a rescue mission. Later on, it changed to a body recovery. The body search ceased three weeks later. I wasn't surprised they had given up on locating it. The ocean was one large place and for all we know, sharks could have gotten to it. Ew. Now the surprising part was Kaiba. He funded the entire rescue operation. The others were surprised as well. You'd think he didn't want any part o fit. Maybe he dated my sister or something.  
  
"Where's Bakura?"  
  
"He's normally in his soul room brooding over something or annoying Ryou," Yami replied with a sigh. We finished washing the dishes and were deciding what to do.  
  
Obviously, I didn't want to attend school. Yeah, no tests for me. You know, it might be worth it to see their faces when their supposedly dead classmate returned from the grave. Of course, they were already afraid of me to begin with. It may end up being more disastrous. Eh, better scratch that idea. Besides, Isis might wring my neck for not telling her first.  
  
"Speaking of which, you know where my sister is?" I inquired, leaning back on the sofa. We thought about heading to the arcade, but games usually cost money. The other duelist would most likely be either at school or at work so that was also out of the question. I would think my sister was at work or something.  
  
Thinking it over, Yami replied, "She's probably at home. Her boss and coworkers thought she should take time off after your funeral to 'adjust' as they say."  
  
"Then that's where we're headed first," I chirped while jumping up on the sofa. We were the only family unless you counted Rishid, but he was an adopted big brother to the both of us.  
  
Crimson eyes blinked with confusion until realization dawned on him. He picked himself up from the other end of the sofa and sauntered over to the stairs. "Let's take our leave, shall we?"  
  
Nodding my head, I sprang from my position. It was good to see her even if she was annoying. Since Yami didn't drive, it will have to be by foot. Besides, both of us could use the exercise and don't even think of calling me fat.  
  
Solomon or Grandpa was working in the game shop. Since it was a school day and morning, business was slow. No doubt, Duke had the same situation with his store. That was not the point. We descended the stairs with Yami taking the lead. No need to give the old guy a heart attack.  
  
"Yami, I didn't know you stayed behind," Solomon called out to the former pharaoh. "I thought you were with Yugi at school, keeping an eye on him." There was a moment of silence. Oh yeah, I was behind the door so I can't see either of the two and they can't see me. "He was acting strange this morning. I'm glad he isn't sulking, but this change is sudden, especially after yesterday."  
  
"Things have changed," Yami's deep voice sounded. Was that my cue to appear or should I have been there already? What the heck?  
  
Stepping out, I found a very surprised Solomon. He appeared to be on the verge of fainting or something. His left hand rested against the counter for support while his right hand covered his heart. Violet eyes were wide as they took in the situation.  
  
"How is this possible?"  
  
"Don't look at me," I stated, holding up my hands defensively. "All I remember was jumping and then ending up in Yugi's deck as a duel monster."  
  
"The souls of the three god cards were separated from their bodies." Yami explained in a serious but low tone as if someone was trying to eavesdrop on our conversation. "Malik's soul is one of them. We have yet to find the other two."  
  
"Which one is he?" Solomon inquired, having come off his initial shock.  
  
A vein appeared on my temple. "You know I'm right here."  
  
Solomon gave a nervous laugh and apologized.  
  
"Winged Dragon of Ra, That's what I am."  
  
"Which leaves Obelisk and Sylfer," Solomon finished off. We both nodded our heads in response.  
  
Taking a seat on the chair, I watched the other two talk while interjecting something here and there. It seemed Solomon was used to the idea of having the dark spirit around.  
  
"Kaiba has Obelisk," Yami bluntly pointed out. He too had taken a seat. "I doubt he is going to give it up any time soon though I know he will keep it safely guarded until the need arises."  
  
"Does anyone know about this?"  
  
The pharaoh shook his head. "My duel monsters are the only ones and I have given them strict orders not to tell anyone. They are not to discuss the matter."  
  
"Try telling that to your Dark Magician Girl," I sighed out loud. She was a nice kid, but she can be dense at times.  
  
"I have Dark Magician, Magician of Black Chaos, and Mystical Elf keeping a close eye on her," Yami answered me, while glancing around for any customers, "although Celtic Guardian and Dark Luster Soldier aren't exactly happy about my orders." I swore I saw an amused glint in his eyes. Dark Magician and Celtic Guardian were an item, which brought me to wonder why would the Dark Luster Soldier be upset. It wasn't exactly dating the other magician, was he?  
  
"And the others?" Solomon spoke up, highly nervous.  
  
Yami shook his head. "We didn't have a chance to tell them as we found out only last night, though I'm hesitant on telling them. Joey, Tristan, Tea, Mai, Duke, and Serenity are in no way connected to the shadow realm." Crimson eyes closed wearily. "I do not wish them to be involved in any way for they may be injured or worse even killed."  
  
The elder nodded his head. He too wanted to spare the group any more pain than necessary. "Speaking of the others, do they know?" His violet eyes moved in my direction.  
  
In response Yami shook his head again. "Out of them, only Yugi knows, but I'm guessing half the school will know by the time they're let out. I know Yugi would not let anyone know about the duel monster aspect. In any case, we're on our way to Isis' place to tell her the good news in person, though I'm not sure we need to." Oh? "She has the millennium tauk so she might have seen it."  
  
"Either way, I still want to talk to her," I pointed out. After what I put her through, she deserved to know. Something told me she deserved better than this. This was my mess, but she accepted her millennium item.  
  
"I should let you go then," Solomon stepped towards the unopened packages. "Family is important. She loves you. You know that?"  
  
I nodded my head and stood up. It was time to go. As I was turning to leave, a hand stopped me. I whirled around to face the owner of the offending hand when a pair of sunglasses was handed to me.  
  
"So you're not recognized before we reach Isis."  
  
In case you haven't forgotten, you bring more attention to us than me, oh duel monsters champion." Still I accepted the pair of sunglasses without any further complaints.  
  
"True, Yugi and I do share a rather unique hairstyle." He too wore a pair of sunglasses, not that it would do him any good. If he were to shave his head or get a wig, then he had a better chance of blending into the crowd.  
  
Placing the shades on, I smirked. We shoved off. My place wasn't far from here. Strange, here we were living close to the Mutou residence yet we have not stopped by at all. Perhaps, it was due to our hectic schedules and we either had work or school. Okay, I don't go to school, but that didn't mean I had spare time. With my darker half plotting to steal the pharaoh's power, it left me very much occupied... Trying not to become insane as he was.  
  
Outside, I found things to be pretty much the same. After all, it had only been a month or around that time since the incident. If it was a decade, I could understand the change. People were going about their daily business as if nothing drastic happened. That was how society worked.  
  
Most or almost all of the population don't know each other on a personal level. If something should befall a person, those closest around the person would either morn the loss or help the person through the crisis. I was sure the popular and influential people will be morning, but most of those mourning will get over it within a short time. Eventually, everyone will get over that person's death and move on with their lives. However, there were those few who can never get over the loss.  
  
With my darker half gone, I tried to move on with my life. I wanted to start all over again, but people remember. They remembered what Marik did to them. If those people happened to be duelists, then they were most likely used by him to gain rare cards or had cards stolen. Since I happened to carry a resemblance to him, many people pointed their fingers at me. I didn't do anything. It was the other me, but no one believed me, except for Yugi, Yami, and Ryou. Don't know about Bakura.  
  
For some reason, I had this feeling my darker half was watching over me. Don't ask.  
  
How was I going to break the news to her. I could waltz up to her and show her I was alive. Isis most likely would faint or barrage me with several questions. In either case, those were not the responses I would like. Frowning, I caught the attention of my companion. Speaking of which, maybe he could prepare her for the shock of her life.  
  
"Hey Yami," I spoke softly.  
  
Not even turning around, Yami replied. "What is it?" He didn't sound annoyed so I wasn't bothering him.  
  
"I was wondering if you could warn her before I make my entrance. The last thing I want her to do is faint."  
  
Yami chuckled a low one. "I understand. No problem, I will warn her, though it may not be necessary if she is wearing her millennium item."  
  
That reminded me. I thought she handed her item before I did. Ryou and Shadi were the only ones who were able to keep their millennium items. The millennium ring kept returning to Ryou despite how many times he gave it to Yami so the pharaoh allowed him to keep it. Of course, Shadi required his two items to continue his duty.  
  
"How does Isis have her millennium tauk?"  
  
A long pause ensued before Yami replied. "After you jumped, I allowed Isis to have the millennium tauk for the duration of the search. As the search dragged on, I found her looking back into the past, when the two of you were alive. I couldn't take it away from her."  
  
"What about the rod?" We reached the crosswalk and were waiting for the signal to turn white.  
  
A few other people waited with us as this was the intersection of two main streets. The lady dressed in a business suit chatted on her cell phone about their recent deals and trades. She didn't look too happy about the results. An elderly man was seated in one of those mechanical wheel chairs. A young man kept looking at his watch and the crosswalk signal. Apparently he was late for something. As to what it was, I had no clue. It could be work, school, or an appointment.  
  
"You still want it after what you've been through?" In response to his question, I shook my head. "After some consideration, I had placed it under tight security. Only a select few have access to it including me. Kaiba, Isis, and Shadi make up the others."  
  
Smiling, I let out a breath of relief. That mean no one used the rod in my absence or at least I'd like to think so. Since Yami and the others attended the funeral, then they couldn't have known.  
  
The people around us were too preoccupied to notice our conversation. Besides, they won't know what we were discussing. Anyways, the crosswalk signal turned white, allowing us to walk across the street without getting run over. At least, the more sensible drivers knew it was our turn.  
  
The silence was getting on my nerves. It wasn't like there weren't sounds around us. I just wanted someone to talk to. I don't know if I was fortunate or unfortunate to have the former pharaoh as my only company. It was better than nothing. We ended talking about duel monsters and strategies. The old spirit had a few good moves.  
  
I glanced up at our apartment complex as if I expected to be attacked. Nope, no such luck. This was it. Isis will find out sooner or later, but I would rather tell her myself than to have her see me through that necklace of hers.  
  
Walking to the entry, I dialed in the security code, which surprisingly was accepted. The familiar click resounded and the door was unlocked. The two of us entered the edifice after we opened the door.  
  
A few people were milling around the first floor, talking and waiting for someone. However, I wasn't listening on their conversation. It looked like some college girls. They giggled as we passed by them. One even pointed to the former pharaoh and whispered something to her friends.  
  
I rolled my eyes at their antics even though they couldn't see me doing it. Ignoring them, we headed straight towards the elevator. Yes, our apartment complex had one as it was five stories high. Yami inspected the panel with the buttons. I was about to move him aside and press the up button when his hand reached over to press it. Meanwhile, a few more people entered the building.  
  
Those people went straight towards the elevator too. Out of all of them, one stood out. Don't call her fat or be prepared for cruel and unusual punishment. I still thought she was fat even if she said she was heavy set. She tended to be cranky and on a constant PMS, but she was fair. Unlike some apartment owners, she didn't throw out her tenants for petty reasons. She gave them a few chances to redeem themselves before she threw them out. So far only a small handful received that treatment.  
  
A pair of twins was with her. They were her nephews. I knew, because I have seen them around here every now and then. The older one made Seto Kaiba look like Ryou. Yeah, I thought no one could be colder than the living ice cube. Okay, maybe I was over exaggerating. The only person he cared for was his twin brother. Speaking of which, his brother was friendly and outgoing. You know, it reminded me of my relationship with my darker half. Okay, that was a bad example. It was more like Ryou and his yami, Bakura.  
  
Back to the task at hand, the elevator opened and we boarded it. The mechanical device groaned under the weight, but it was designed to carry heavy loads. There was no way people can drag a large sofa up four flights of stairs. I pressed the button for the third floor and the younger of the twins pressed the fifth button. Yeah, the land lady lived on the top floor. I don't know why, and I wasn't going to risk asking her.  
  
The generator then started and the elevator cabin began its ascent to the third floor. It moved slower than usual, because of the strain being placed on it. Like I said, that lady was fat. Not that I'd tell her in front of her face. If I had friends, I wouldn't mind them being overweight. At least I HAVE friends.  
  
"What is it?" Yami's deep voice sounded. I thought he was asking me something when another voice spoke softly.  
  
"I was wondering if you're Yugi," the younger of the twins inquired with hopeful blue eyes. The former pharaoh nodded to answer his question. You wouldn't believe how many people kept asking Yami if he was Yugi. "I started building a dueling deck, a spellcaster and a dragon one. What ratio of traps, magic, and monster cards would you recommend?"  
  
Hey, that was actually a good question. I thought he'd ask something to degree of his favorite color, favorite duel monster, or something trivial.  
  
"Hm, I'd recommend having your deck half monsters," Yami answered thoughtfully. He tapped his chin a few times. "It depends on your strategy, but I suggest having a quarter trap cards unless you do not possess any good ones. Your magic cards should support the type of monsters you have. Your monsters also should complement each other. High level duel monsters are good, but you need sacrifices for them. It would be better to have more level one to four monsters and a few five to eight."  
  
"Thanks," he chirped and gave Yami a thankful smile. "My favorite duel monster is the Dark Magician. I have two of him."  
  
Yami raised a brow, but nonetheless didn't pursue the topic. He would have responded, but the door opened to our floor. Bidding the polite twin, Yami exited the elevator with me not far behind him.  
  
After making sure the door was closed, I turned to my companion. "That was our land lady and her nephews. I think the older one is actually related to Kaiba. Did you see the way he looked at us and kept his eye on his brother?"  
  
"You're telling me," Yami said with humor. "The one who spoke with me was nice. I think one of these days; I may have to duel against him in a tournament."  
  
"Yeah," I agreed with him. I needed some sort of distraction and this small talk was working for now. "They're always like that. The large one normally is uptight. I wonder what happened to her. Maybe it's because she had her nephews with her."  
  
The former pharaoh shrugged his shoulder. "You never can tell with people. I can't even understand some of my closest friends, though I don't think I want to with one of them."  
  
I smirked at his comment as I knew which of those friends he was referring to. No, it wasn't Tea, the annoying girl. It was the bottomless pit of a dueler.  
  
Well, here we were standing in front of my door or at least the door to my former apartment. Was it still my home? Oh whatever. Let's just go inside.  
  
Yami knocked on the door while I stayed out of view. His crimson eyes flickered to me before he looked straight at Isis. Wow, I didn't know she could answer the door that quickly. "Hello, Isis."  
  
"Pharaoh, what brings you to my place?" She inquired.  
  
Isis didn't look that well. She must have been crying last night and overslept, because her hair wasn't brushed. In fact, she was still wearing her night time apparel. Since I was attempting to keep out of view, I couldn't see her eyes, but I bet they were red.  
  
"I came here to inform you." Yami waved to me, signaling for me to come over. "There's someone who would like to meet you."  
  
A few steps took me right in front of my older sister.  
  
Wingzero: I have nothing against overweight people. Erm, I just needed someone other than the stereotype apartment owner. 


End file.
